Richard Nixon (1/9/1913-4/22/1994)
Republican Party
Served from 1/20/1969-8/9/1974
Vice Presidents: Spiro Agnew and Gerald Ford
Richard Nixon was a great president who made strides in foreign relations with China, and the Soviets. He also had great strides in the equal treatment of blacks/integration of schools. Finally, he helped restore the wartime economy. However, he was best known for the Watergate Scandal, and deserves a B for his presidency.
Goals:
First off, president Nixon wanted to ease tensions with China/ the USSR. During visits in 1972 to Beijing and Moscow, he reduced tensions with China and the U.S.S.R. Het met with Russian leader Leonid I. Brezhnev and produced a treaty to limit strategic nuclear weapons (SALT 1). In January 1973, he declared that America would be pulling out of vietnam. He want to bring the troups back to America, and did this by getting rid of the draft, and training the vietnamese to fight mar themselves, outfitting them with new equiptment and arms, and training them to fight. President Nixon also sought out to stabalize the economy. The people were suffering, and to help them, Nixon decreaced the astronaumical amount of military/defense spending, and put for of the Governments money into helping the people with programs such as Scoial Security, and Welfare. In 1970, the Democratic Congress passed the Economic Stabilization Act, giving Nixon power to set wages and prices. Nixon used this to battle inflation, he figured that if he could control the wages, he could control inflation. Nixon also took the US off of the Gold Standard. U.S. gold reserves had declined from $25 billion to $10.5 billion, and by taking America off the gold standard, Nixon prevented other countries from further draining out reserves by exchanging their dollar reserves for our gold. Finally, president Nixon made great progress in the integration of schools. Nixon simply did what the supreme court had ruled, desegregate the schools. Southern blacks attending all black schools were almost 70% before Nixon, but dropped to 18% during Nixon's presidency. Nixon's Cabinet Committee on Education, under the leadership of Labor Secretary George Shultz, quietly set up local biracial committees to assure smooth compliance without violence or political medling. He not only for black rights, but the rights of women, and he also fully supported the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment which was passed in both Houses in 1972, and gave women a stronger stance in society.
Relationship with Congress:
Nixon did not have a very favorable relationship with congress. The congress was controlled by Democrats, and since Nixon was Republican, there was some head butting going on. Nixon openly criticized many of the democratic nominees, and they also criticized Nixon for his appointments to the cabinet and Supreme Court. However, they both seemed to get along great when dealing with the economy, and taking control of wages, and separating the US from te gold standard. They also agreed on the Equal Rights Ammendment.
Most Positive Outcome:
Nixon's presidency has lots of positive outcomes, like the Equal Rights Ammendment, pulling out of the Vietnam war, and integrating public schools, however, I'd say the most significant would be his improving relations with the USSR and China. By agreeing to SALT 1 and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, he allowed more money to be put back into the people, and not into defense spending. Also, cold war tensions were reduced, leaving Americans with more of a sense of security. If Nixon had not met with these countries, the Nuclear Arms buildup would have escaladed even more, and put more money into defense spending, instead of supporting the people with Social Security.
Most Negative Outcome:
Obviously, the watergate scandal was his most negative outcome. Some men broke into the Watergate office (Democratic), and Nixon tried to cover it all up. He had tape recording instruments in his office, and eventually, the supreme court made him hand them over. Nixon was hiding the corruption of the government. After he was forced to hand the tapes over, he resigned, and even if he hadn't resigned, he most likely would have been impeached.
Lasting Effect:
Nixon had a huge effect on the future. He integrated schools. fixed the economy, improved relations with China and the USSR, and gave women equal rights. Obviously all of these things that he did are still implemented today, and even built upon. He also pulled out of Vietnam, and the same strategy was applied to withdrawl from Iraq during the Bush administration.
In conclusion, Richard Nixon was a good president, he could have been great if it were not for the Watergate Scandal. He improved relations with communist countries, improved the lives of women, blacks, and other minorities, fixed the dwindling economy, and brought the US out of the Vietnam war. He deserves a nice solid B for his presidency.
Republican Party
Served from 1/20/1969-8/9/1974
Vice Presidents: Spiro Agnew and Gerald Ford
Richard Nixon was a great president who made strides in foreign relations with China, and the Soviets. He also had great strides in the equal treatment of blacks/integration of schools. Finally, he helped restore the wartime economy. However, he was best known for the Watergate Scandal, and deserves a B for his presidency.
Goals:
First off, president Nixon wanted to ease tensions with China/ the USSR. During visits in 1972 to Beijing and Moscow, he reduced tensions with China and the U.S.S.R. Het met with Russian leader Leonid I. Brezhnev and produced a treaty to limit strategic nuclear weapons (SALT 1). In January 1973, he declared that America would be pulling out of vietnam. He want to bring the troups back to America, and did this by getting rid of the draft, and training the vietnamese to fight mar themselves, outfitting them with new equiptment and arms, and training them to fight. President Nixon also sought out to stabalize the economy. The people were suffering, and to help them, Nixon decreaced the astronaumical amount of military/defense spending, and put for of the Governments money into helping the people with programs such as Scoial Security, and Welfare. In 1970, the Democratic Congress passed the Economic Stabilization Act, giving Nixon power to set wages and prices. Nixon used this to battle inflation, he figured that if he could control the wages, he could control inflation. Nixon also took the US off of the Gold Standard. U.S. gold reserves had declined from $25 billion to $10.5 billion, and by taking America off the gold standard, Nixon prevented other countries from further draining out reserves by exchanging their dollar reserves for our gold. Finally, president Nixon made great progress in the integration of schools. Nixon simply did what the supreme court had ruled, desegregate the schools. Southern blacks attending all black schools were almost 70% before Nixon, but dropped to 18% during Nixon's presidency. Nixon's Cabinet Committee on Education, under the leadership of Labor Secretary George Shultz, quietly set up local biracial committees to assure smooth compliance without violence or political medling. He not only for black rights, but the rights of women, and he also fully supported the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment which was passed in both Houses in 1972, and gave women a stronger stance in society.
Relationship with Congress:
Nixon did not have a very favorable relationship with congress. The congress was controlled by Democrats, and since Nixon was Republican, there was some head butting going on. Nixon openly criticized many of the democratic nominees, and they also criticized Nixon for his appointments to the cabinet and Supreme Court. However, they both seemed to get along great when dealing with the economy, and taking control of wages, and separating the US from te gold standard. They also agreed on the Equal Rights Ammendment.
Most Positive Outcome:
Nixon's presidency has lots of positive outcomes, like the Equal Rights Ammendment, pulling out of the Vietnam war, and integrating public schools, however, I'd say the most significant would be his improving relations with the USSR and China. By agreeing to SALT 1 and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, he allowed more money to be put back into the people, and not into defense spending. Also, cold war tensions were reduced, leaving Americans with more of a sense of security. If Nixon had not met with these countries, the Nuclear Arms buildup would have escaladed even more, and put more money into defense spending, instead of supporting the people with Social Security.
Most Negative Outcome:
Obviously, the watergate scandal was his most negative outcome. Some men broke into the Watergate office (Democratic), and Nixon tried to cover it all up. He had tape recording instruments in his office, and eventually, the supreme court made him hand them over. Nixon was hiding the corruption of the government. After he was forced to hand the tapes over, he resigned, and even if he hadn't resigned, he most likely would have been impeached.
Lasting Effect:
Nixon had a huge effect on the future. He integrated schools. fixed the economy, improved relations with China and the USSR, and gave women equal rights. Obviously all of these things that he did are still implemented today, and even built upon. He also pulled out of Vietnam, and the same strategy was applied to withdrawl from Iraq during the Bush administration.
In conclusion, Richard Nixon was a good president, he could have been great if it were not for the Watergate Scandal. He improved relations with communist countries, improved the lives of women, blacks, and other minorities, fixed the dwindling economy, and brought the US out of the Vietnam war. He deserves a nice solid B for his presidency.
Bibliography
"Richard Nixon." The White House. Web. 27 Dec. 2009. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/richardnixon>. "Richard Nixon." Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon>. "Watergate Scandal." Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia. 27 Dec. 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal.